Having a house built during the summer months (roofing, heaters, paint)

[Nepenthe]

Somebody told me summer was the worst time to have a house built. The explanation was that due to the heat workers become lazier and also tend to spend less time on each given project. It was explained that this was the equivalent of having a car built on Friday afternoon.

Not that I have much choice, just wondering. Are there better and worse times to have houses built?

[desertsun41]

Having been involved in the homebuilding process for 3 decades now and doing so in all climates, I can..........well..... almost say you are right. Previous to my current location I spent 10 years in Las Vegas and experienced that boom. You should try and work in 120 degree weather and see how that slows you down. But you adapt. Roofers and framers worked 2 four hour shifts. One before the sun came up, then went home, then came back an hour before the sun went down for the final 4 hours.

Dont let it bother you. In Texas there are no weather extremes. But I believe workers will be happier when it is cool out. Happy = better quality? I really dont know if that is true.

Right now the unemployment rate among the construction trades is nearing 60% so you will have no trouble finding willing and able bodies no matter what the temps are. Your only worry is finding qualified craftsmen. Now that is the real challenge.

[Cosmic]

The worse time is to build in the freezing winter with temps well down below zero. End of debate.

Messing around in the boiling heat is second worse.

Both will probably affect the final product. You will get only 3 nails in each roofing shingle. But you also get to drink a lot of stuff, including lots of beer. In the winter that coffee, goes straight thru you and all the time is spent peeing in the woods. Your hands never work right, can't do anythng with mittens on. You can use the tropical working hours trick in summer, in winter nothing works, just miserable all the time. Winter you spent more time moving snow than pounding nails.

Lots of operations you can't do in the cold. Masonary is big no-no once it gets so cold. Lots of folks call in sick to often. Some just give it up and go work in Florida.

Fall is actually the best time, moderate weather, plus Xmas is coming. Spring you get too much rain. Your mileage will vary depending on location but if you got to pick between working in heat or working in cold. Always pick the heat, more fun to take them clothes off. Ladies all love hot sweating men. Never found any woman who can do the cold well even in bed.

[texdav]

Its different in different parts of the country. I never would pour a concrete slab in the heat of summer where I live. I can see where the areas that have every cold winters would have similar problems in other areas of construction.

[desertsun41]

Well there ya go as Cosmic said. That covers it. But like I said. You adapt. I can remember those north east winters when we would have to shovel the snow off the roof so we can scrape off the old shingles and put on the new. I can remember shoveling a 3' path of snow around the perimeter of the house so we can put on siding. We poured concrete then covered it with large sheets of plastic and rented large space heaters to blow on the curing concrete. I remember wearing heated gloves and socks and the battery pack was tied to our ankles.

On the other extreme in the south west when it hit in the one teens to 120 degrees we would soak towels and wrap them around our necks while working. Some would put a bag of ice inside their hat and tie it in so it would not fall out. It was 120 outside so you could not touch your tools if they were exposed in the truck bed. So you used gloves to carry in your tools. You could not touch them for 10 minutes till they cooled.

You can always tell a contractor who works in the desert. They all have a long burn mark across their belly about where their belly button is. When they would reach into the back of their truck, their shirt would pull upward exposing their lower belly. Their belly would touch the tailgate in it's down position and they would burn their belly. It's an on going joke to prove your worth. "you think you're good? Lift your shirt man" It happens to everyone.

How bout in winter when the drywall mudders finish up and have to set up a big space heater in every room just so it can dry in 3 days for paint. Normally a 5 hour deal. How bout in summer when the drywall mudders finish up and the humidity from the curing mud goes over 500%. You walk into the house and instantly are drenched from head to toe.

Then you have the house out in the woods. The biting bugs are so bad that all the workers have to soak their cloths in deet to get through their day.

[GloryB]

I imagine there are lots of contractors out there who would just say 'NOW'. They need the work.

[Driller1]

Building in Michigan in the winter is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Barking Spider]

Cosmic nailed it (much as I hate to admit it). Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Cosmic]

Some of that stuff sounds a bit funny or even amusing but if you have to do it in all types of weather it can really age you. It is not at all like you see on TV.

I've seen guys in their 30's that looked like they were 50-60's.

This new World Order where they attempt to go nads to the wall 365 dazes a year is insane. In the past nobody tried to do major construction projects in horrible weather, especially in the dead of winter in northern climes.

I never did, if I could not make a living in 6 months, I was in the wrong racket. In the winter I wrote software, my partner and the helpers would attempt some work outside, paid a horrible price with their bod's. I might help out with inside work if we had heat but always knew my limits.

Lots of that stuff, you never get paid enough, especially when the God's have switched to the stormy mode. Easy to sit back and say it ain't me but it is also wise not to push your luck and expect super craftmanship when all the other fellow is trying to do is survive.

Treat the hired help like humans, bring them cold drinks, beer breaks after hours, snaks and kind words of encouragement. It really helps to know the customer cares. A pizza party at lunch is a great idea, you paying. Coffee and donuts in the morning, great move, the guys will pay you back a million fold.

[southgeorgia]

I've always thought we get more production during the summer. During the winter we spend a lot of time huddled around a fire on the jobsite.


The heat is much easier to work in, as it keeps your joints loose.

I would say this applies to almost every except roofers. That's just brutal.